Top Thirsty Albums of 2007: 30-26

30. Daft Punk - Alive 2007

I was not fortunate enough to witness Daft Punk's epic live show this year, but from what I've come to understand from friends and buzz sites, it was pretty epic. Everyone who saw their show, however, only talked about their stage setup, which featured a giant lit-up pyramid with the Punks atop dressed as robots. This live CD, which is not accompanied by a DVD of any kind, demonstrates just how amazing this live show must have been apart from the aesthetic bombardment. Instead of simply pressing play on their long list of hit singles, DP opted to remix all of their tracks live, mashing up some of the biggest electronic songs of the past decade. The setlist also spans their entire discography going all the way back to their debut, Homework. This results in some jaw-dropping mixes, such as the borderline unfair mix of "Around the World/Harder Better Faster Stronger." This probably would have been higher up on the list if it weren't a live album, but the sound quality is just as good as most studio recordings. The only thing keeping you from blasting this gem at a house party is the annoying cheering of the Parisian audience.

Key Tracks: "Around the World/Harder Better Faster Stronger," "One More Time/Aerodynamic," "Da Funk/Dadftendirekt."


29. The Sea and Cake - Everybody
The Sea and Cake were a band that I was actually fortunate enough to see live this year, and their performance transformed this record in my mind from "pretty good record from old guys whom I like," to "really good record from one of my favorite bands." The Sea and Cake are always reliable, with hardly any missteps in their long catalog. However, with their past few records, it seemed like the band had settled into their comfort zone and it didn't look like they were going to stray from their formulaic electro-jazz-post rock-pop routine. This album isn't a major departure by any means, but it does feature some of the band's best hooks since its Nassau days. The guitar work also takes a more muscular sound, with Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt playing off each other in more dynamic ways. As always, John McEntire's drumming is a subtle delight, punching out time signatures you didn't know existed and the best hardly audible fills in the business. Also, Prekop here shows that he's still got a little bit of soul left in his vocals as he turns out his most varied delivery in a long time.

Key Tracks: "Up on Crutches," "Lightning," "Crossing Line."


28. Feist - The Reminder
If indie rock has a Brangelina, then it would be Leslie Feist and Kevin Drew (Lesvin? Dreist? No wonder there's no such thing as Hipster People). Two of the most innovative and beautiful people in the industry are an official item, giving them the award for "Most Jealousy-Inducing Double Date." In case you somehow haven't seen the iPod commercial featuring "1234," or for some reason thought it was Cat Power at first (guilty as charged), Feist established herself this year as one of the foremost female voices in music. Fans of Broken Social Scene have known for years about her jazzy, sultry vocals, but The Reminder should prove to be her breakthrough album, putting her on the same Starbucks shelves as Norah Jones and Akeelah and the Bee. What separates Feist from her sad-core counterparts Cat Power and Regina Spektor is that half of her songs feel like they should be duets with The Chairman of the Board. Her background in punk and indie rock make for an intriguing and lovely blend with her natural lounge act voice.

Key Tracks - "1234," "Sea Lion Woman," "My Moon My Man," "The Park."


27. Elliott Smith - New Moon
This (obviously) is not technically a new Elliott Smith album, and it's not unfinished business like the posthumous From a Basement on the Hill. This double-LP is a collection of outtakes from the recording sessions for Either/Or and XO, arguably Smith's most fertile period of quality output. Seeing as how it isn't a proper album, it doesn't flow in the same way that his other stuff does. However, this gives the listener the opportunity to give closer attention to individual tracks, and some of the tracks on this collection match up favorably to some of the singer's best work. "High Times" reflects the druggy desperation of Smith's first two albums, matching the gritty vocal of "Roman Candle." "Georgia, Georgia" feels like a sequel to the classic "Southern Belle," and Smith's version of the oft-covered version of Big Star's "Thirteen" is among the best and most sincere versions of the song. The collection probably could've been condensed into one disc, but there's still a rich amount of quality material here.

Key Tracks: "Miss Misery (Early Version)," "High Times," "Thirteen," "New Monkey."


26. Caribou: Andorra
Caribou is essentially a vanity project for math-whiz Dan Snaith, in spite of the fact that he has put together a rather formidable live band. 2005's The Milk of Human Kindness was a pretty but boring affair. Andorra, however, drenches itself in harmony and melody that makes it a powerful love affair with the 1960's in the same vain as Animal Collective and Dungen. Caribou, however, keeps to more electronic instrumentation and layers all of his vocals himself. The album starts suddenly with "Melody Day," which eventually proves itself to be a missing track from Odyssey and Oracle. The rest of the album has some true standout tracks of sheer beauty, such as the dreamy "She's the One," with its doo-wop backing vocals, and the Pet Sounds slow burn of "Desiree." Most of the tracks on the album are named after women, but it takes a few listens to find the emotion behind the studio wizardry.

Key Tracks: "Desiree," "She's the One," "After Hours.

Check in tomorrow for 25-21!